Mountain Duck vs WinSCP (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WinSCP grades higher than Mountain Duck: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mountain Duck grades higher on platforms. WinSCP grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mountain Duck
Mounts server and cloud storage as a drive on Mac and Windows
Which one is for you
Pick Mountain Duck if
- Fits if you work on files in S3 or an SFTP server from ordinary desktop apps
- Works for teams who would rather buy licences once than pay a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you run Linux, as only macOS and Windows are listed
- Pricey if you need it for several people: each seat needs its own licence, $49 each
- Watch out: a licence covers one major version, so a version 6 would need an upgrade
- Watch out: the trial length isn't stated on the pages we read
- Not for you if you only want cloud storage in Finder for free, since ExpanDrive's free plan covers that
Pick WinSCP if
- Fits if you move files to servers from a Windows PC and want scripts to repeat the job
- Works for people who keep folders in sync with a remote server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux machine, as there is no version for either
- Not for you if you want a quiet website, since the site shows advertisements alongside its pages
- Too light for cloud-drive work like Google Drive or OneDrive, which the listing does not cover
- Watch out: it is run by volunteers and funded by donations, with help coming through the forum
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAMountain DuckFair | 2.8GPAWinSCPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$49 one-time per user, with $193 for five. That is more than a year of the category's typical $3.33 a month, but under two. | AFree to download and use, with no paid plan. The site asks for optional donations from $19 to $249. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's a trial version before you buy a key, but the pages we read don't say how long it lasts or whether a card is asked for. No free plan. | AThe full program, scripting interface included, is free with no cap and no trial clock. |
| Features | BFTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, S3, Azure, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and more, with on-demand files, offline folders and Cryptomator vaults. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BSFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV and S3, two interface styles, batch scripting, directory sync and a built-in editor. The listing shows no gap in the core transfer job. |
| Ease of use | CEvery connection has to be set up with server details or a cloud login. No store rating is on record. | CNo store rating is on record. Each server needs its own connection details, and the scripting side is a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | CmacOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later. Computers only, with no Linux, phone or web version. | DWindows only. The listing says Mac and Linux users need another client, and there is no phone or web version. |
| Best for | S3, SFTP and WebDAV as a drive | free SFTP and scripted file transfers on Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Mountain Duck and WinSCP. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mountain Duck is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mountain Duck can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- WinSCP is open source, according to its own site.
- Mountain Duck also covers file sharing.
- WinSCP also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Mountain Duck | WinSCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5) | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free to download and use; the site asks for optional donations from $19 to $249. |
| Free trial | Trial version of the app, then buy a registration key | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | iterate GmbH | WinSCP |
| Price read from | mountainduck.io | winscp.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mountain Duck
- Runs on macOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later only; no Linux version is listed.
- A licence is valid for one major version, so a future version 6 would need an upgrade purchase.
- The buy page shows the price only after the form loads; it is per seat, so each user needs a licence.
- Free to download as a trial, but the trial length is not stated on the pages we read.
WinSCP
- Windows only; Mac and Linux users need another client.
- The site shows advertisements alongside its pages.
- Funded by volunteers and donations, with support through the forum.
Key features
Mountain Duck
- Integrated connect mode
- Version 5 syncs through the File Provider API on macOS and Cloud Files on Windows, so no device driver or network mount is installed.
- Smart synchronization
- All remote files are listed, and each is downloaded to the local disk only when opened. Chosen folders can be kept offline.
- Broad protocol and cloud support
- Connects over FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and SMB, and to Amazon S3, Google Storage, Azure, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Box and others.
- Cryptomator vaults
- Client-side encryption using Cryptomator-compatible vaults, so data at rest is unreadable to the server or cloud provider.
- Team features
- File locking for Office documents on WebDAV servers, version history on versioned S3 buckets, and custom versioning on the server.
- Sharing and search
- Create expiring share links from the context menu on supported storage, and search remote files with Spotlight or Windows Search.
WinSCP
- Many protocols
- Transfers over SFTP and SCP via SSH, plus FTP, FTPS, WebDAV and S3, all from one interface.
- Two interface styles
- Explorer and Commander layouts, with drag and drop, URL and shortcut integration with Windows.
- Scripting and automation
- Batch file scripting, a command-line interface and a .NET assembly cover unattended jobs.
- Directory synchronization
- Synchronize folders in semi- or fully automatic ways; version 6.7 adds syncing two local directories.
- Built-in editor and PuTTY integration
- Edit remote files in an integrated text editor, share site settings with PuTTY and use the Pageant agent.
- Portable operation
- Can run from removable media using a configuration file instead of registry entries.
Plans
Mountain Duck
Single user$49
per user, one-time, for version 5
Per-seat licence, usable on any number of computers by the same user. Discounted upgrades for later major versions.
5 users$193
for 5 users, one-time, for version 5
Volume price for five seats, below five single licences. The buy page also offers 10, 20 and 50 users, and a custom quote.
10 users$348
for 10 users, one-time, for version 5
Volume price for ten seats. Larger teams and white-label deployments are handled as custom quotes.
WinSCP
Free$0
Full application, including the scripting interface; optional donations are suggested on the site.
Ways to pay less
Mountain Duck
- Education
30% academic discount
Mountain Duck offers a 30% discount coupon for academic use, requested by ticket from an institutional email address.
- Other savings
30% switcher or Cyberduck discount
A 30% discount is offered to owners of a Cyberduck key, or of a Transmit Disk, ExpanDrive or NetDrive licence, on request.
WinSCP
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mountain Duck or WinSCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mountain Duck starts at $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5), and WinSCP is free.
Which has a free plan, Mountain Duck or WinSCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WinSCP has a free plan. Mountain Duck does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Mountain Duck and WinSCP run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mountain Duck lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.